Think-Feel-Eat Episode #11: Introducing the Eating Protocol

Hi! I’m Donna Reish, IF teacher, weight loss coach, blogger, and half of “The Minus 220 Pound Pair” as my husband and I have lost over 200 pounds together (160 of that in the past couple of years through the Weight Loss Lifestyle habits and strategies I teach!).

In this episode, I present the introduction to Creating an Eating Protocol. This is the first video/audio in a several-week series. (In this series, you will learn how to put a protocol in place that works for you—that you don’t hate or dread, that reduces food urges. that you can do forever….)

Today I introduce the concept of an Eating Protocol—a protocol that you create for yourself that has you determine WHEN you will eat (fasting and eating windows); the FOODS you will eat (food protocol); and the AMOUNTS you will eat (how much).

Creating an Eating Protocol is not just following a diet. It is deciding for yourself what you can do (even in a Pandemic!) and that gives you the results you are seeking. It is taking control of your eating time, foods, and amounts. It is freeing and life changing!

After I introduced the concept of an Eating Protocol (not a Perfect Protocol—even a Pandemic Protocol will help!), in this episode, I taught the first part of the Eating Protocol: TIME. We can start fasting, restart fasting, or increase our fasting—whatever we want to do for ourselves. (Take my free webinar this week or next: intermittentfastingwebinar.com)

I then leave listeners with some Food Protocol questions for next week….what do all food plans/diets have in common? What worked for you for weight loss before? What can you do right now? I’m excited to help you with this material! It’s gonna be festive!

INTRODUCING THE EATING PROTOCOL

A. Elephant in the Room With IF

1. IF magical weight loss—without any food restrictions? 2. IF is an amazing tool in our tool belt—one that brings us constraint; one that balances hormones; one that brings in boundaries for us 3. Who do you know who got to their goal with IF as part of their weight loss journey but didn’t change anything else? 4. At first, any deficit you create (reducing intake by fasting) will cause weight loss

B. Why a Protocol now?

1. We are desperate for some control in our lives 2. We can create a protocol that works right now—a Pandemic Protocol not a Perfect Protocol 3. We don’t have the willpower for strict food changes right now because we are using our small stores of willpower to LIVE during this time (See Weight Loss Lifestyle #60and #61 for Willpower Training!) 4. If we don’t think ALL or NOTHING, then we can create a Pandemic Protocol for Eating….it’s only when we think everything has to be perfect (including our protocol!) that we don’t want to create a protocol. 5. Isn’t some control better than no control?

a. Weight management is better than weight gain! b. We don’t have to lose weight, but what if we could come out of the pandemic having not gained weight???

6. What if we can design a protocol during this time that helps us feel all of our feelings, process them, eat better—one that we don’t have to buffer against? 7. What if we could design a protocol you can really live with, one in which you don’t buffer with off-protocol foods in order to stay on it? 8. Can we NOT be all or nothing people during this time? YES! We can.

C. What Is an Eating Protocol?

1. Has three components (see graphic)

a. Deciding a TIME protocol—WHEN you will eat most days b. Deciding a FOOD protocol—WHAT you will eat most days c. Deciding an AMOUNT protocol—HOW MUCH you will eat most days

2. You can’t know if you’re ON your plan or OFF your plan if you don’t have a plan—

a. Will create the perfect storm of weight loss b. Will be what you can live with/do to get to your goals

D. Part I of Eating Protocol: Decide WHEN You Will Eat Most Days (TIME)

1. Start with what you can really do—16:8 is a good place to start

a. Fasting for 16 hours a day b. Eating for 8 hours a day c. Doable! d. Go to what you can do tomorrow!!! (intermittentfastingwebinar.com) e. Bring in some boundaries; create barriers f. Get an accountability partner—text in the morning what your eating time will be that day; text in the evening what you did

2. Vary it as needed

a. Weekdays vs weekends b. Determine when you will fast generally speaking (later on, we will look at deciding ahead of time for tomorrow—this will be your general plan—the big picture of your fasting) c. Do what you can do during hard times d. Understand willpower and IF (WLL 60 and 61)

E. Summary

1. Make your first step right now—your fasting protocol 2. Write it down! 3. Food questions we will look at later more closely….

a. What do all protocols have in common? (see graphic!) b. How have you lost weight in the past? c. Why did you not stay on that protocol if it worked before?

4. We can develop a FASTING protocol even during a Pandemic! 5. It DOES make a difference when we come out of this Pandemic—with a 15 pound gain or no gain! 6. We have the option to do what we CAN do during this time.

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